A method for obtaining a culture product having a good aroma by using a yeast that produces various aroma components, for example, Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been conventionally known, and the culture product thus obtained has been used for food and drink (Patent Literatures 1 to 3).
Ethyl benzoate, which is one of aroma components, can be chemically synthesized from benzoic acid and ethanol. This compound is known as one of the aroma components of a star fruit and has been industrially used as an artificial flavor giving an aroma of a fruit. A culture product which is obtained by using Saccharomyces cerevisiae and contains ethyl benzoate as an aroma component is known; however, the content of ethyl benzoate was as low as from 0.006 to 0.009 ppm (Non Patent Literature 1).
Wickerhamomyces pijperi is a yeast which was formerly referred to as Pichia pijperi and reclassified as Wickerhamomyces pijperi. Non Patent Literature 2 describes culturing this yeast in a yeast extract-mannitol culture medium and a yeast-peptone-dextrose (YPD) culture medium; however, the characteristic of the culture product thus obtained was unknown and neither of the possibility of culturing Wickerhamomyces pijperi in a milk component-containing culture medium and the aroma of the resulting culture product was totally unknown.